chebits asked: Have you ever done environment studies from life?
Yes! I have an odd attraction to leaves and I love drawing things up close, so I’ll wander around outside and draw odds and ends I stumble onto.
eternityeclipse asked: I just wanted to ask, how did you make your website(s) layouts? Photoshop? Dreamweaver? ;A; I'm currently working on creating my own website, and even though I've browsed through tons of different kinds of tutorials, I am completely stuck on where to start layout-wise. Any tips?
Hi! I’m so sorry it took me this long to respond! I used Flash and Dreamweaver to make my websites. First I plan them out, then I cut up everything and try to put it back together with coding in Dreamweaver. I never use their built in previewer though, ack.
For someone starting with webdesign, I would get a free website template through google, open it in dreamweaver and just break it a lot, then fix it. That’s how I learned!
otakyou asked: Why did you stop getting on neopets? D:
I lost track of time to play neopets ;; Also, when they switched to the new layout and pets and dress-up style, it just wasn’t the same. I went on Neopets to look at all the beautiful artwork and pet colors and see the new poses for each paintbrush. Now it’s much less appealing art-wise but I still stalk the captions page because those are so well drawn!
xxaerofox asked: You have a pet skunky? thats so cute...what does he do for play? and whats his favorite food? where did you get skiddles? and is she a he or is he a she? lol... Also i love your art.
He plays with my cat, who he grew up with, and he chases me around my place. He’s also the best cuddler! I got him from a skunk breeder in Iowa. :D And thank you!!
savethedamselinthisdress asked: I absolutely love your blog (and of course your art!). I really hope you'll do more disneyxpokemon crossovers, they're amazing! *Really* hoping for a crossover with characters from Beauty and the Beast (my absolute favorite Disney movie). Anyways: You're great, keep doing what you're doing because it's awesome :)!
I already did Belle! I’d love to do Beast too, but I suppose that can be after the Princesses are over. I do those crossovers to relax when I’m overworked, so it’s taking a while in-between each one. :}
tangelo-hat asked: I was watching one of your live streams and i was wondering how you added the gradient shading. I've tried that on flash and it decided to gradient the entire shape for me.
Gradients effect each shape separately, or whatever you select together! So if you select all of the skin color, then give it a gradient, it will all be a part of the gradient.
Hope that helps!
missbelarus asked: Wow. I'm really sorry for being a bother, since you probably get thousands of these a day, but thank you so much. You're probably the reason I draw today. I knew you ever since, hmm, 5 maybe, when I came across Suta-Raito (I loved Pokemon at the time), and ever since, it was my goal to try to draw as well as you. Of course, that might not happen, but it's a big dream of mine ahaha. But thank you thank you <3 You made me realize my potential in art, and I thought you should know. <3
FIVE? I wish Pokemon had an influence on me at that age!
I’m so happy I influenced you, and I hope you continue drawing! So many other people don’t realize how many hours we put into our talents to practice and perfect them. It takes years, but it’s so worth it when you finally begin to appreciate something you created!
fireaux asked: I never knew that you're only 3 years older than me! I've been a fan of yours since I was 11! I always wanted to be an artist like you. So how long did it take for you to get an art style that you could be proud of? How often did you practice? Also, what are some good tips for practicing line art?
We’re both so old! Haha!
I guess it took all my life to develop a style, and it’s forever changing. I draw every night, and most days at work. Practicing lineart, for me, has always been about quick lines and strokes, and holding a steady hand. I started drawing on a computer with a mouse, so that helped me gain a steady hand for 2 years before I had a tablet.
laurah-art asked: Hi! Another long-time fan here. I was watching your livestream recording of Tiana and Politoed, and I noticed you instantly turned every highlight into a symbol. I'm too obsessed with naming things for that, but it did make me wonder: how many layers you generally use? I'm so glad to have looked you up again. :3
Hi there! In Flash I normally use 3 layers for pieces like that, The sketch, the image, and the eye shine/highlights. In photoshop my layers are endless but there’s no need to do so in Flash if you use symbols. Tiana had two layers, the sketch and the vector. :)
floramei asked: Just curious, how/when did you get started working for Aywas? I've been a casual fan of your art for some years, and was sad when suta-raito stopped being terribly active (even though I never did much there) and it made me really happy when I realized that you were one of the people behind the scenes at Aywas. (Sorry to be a creep?)
I’ve been working for Aywas for quite some time! At least 4 years. :D Everyone there has been amazing, I’m so happy I was given the opportunity back then.
Thank you for (secretly) following me haha! <3
fireaux asked: :) Do you have any tips for practicing line art? I've been a sketchy artist for years, and I really want to be able to make smooth looking lines without using a pen tool.
Hi there! :D I actually made a line art tutorial a long time ago that might help!
http://kuitsuku.deviantart.com/art/Photoshop-Lineart-Coloring-Tut-56907784
bugcatchernavi asked: So I've told you before that you were one of my biggest art influences growing up, I mean it was your oekakis that got me started drawing digitally in the first place, so I can't thank you enough for that! But I wanted to tell you, I just started the animation program in downtown Orlando for UCF and I love it! And being that I've always loved your art so much I totally geeked out when I first saw the poster hanging up for "Shadow Play," though I have yet to see the actual animation itself. (= <3
That is so cool!! I hope you really enjoy it, I think a lot has changed since I was there.
Psh, Shadow Play…I still prefer Goblin Garbage. ;) Though I love the poster that Elissa did!
This was our team’s take on it, which is hanging in my computer room:
cloverpuppy asked: Did you ever feel your art wasn't good? Or that you'd never improve? How do you find the drive to keep going and improve when you feel this way.
I used to feel like that all the time! Now it’s more about how much I get done every day. But sometimes, even after delivering a concept that was well received, I feel like I could have been way more creative and drawn it better.
I find the drive by switching topics, drawing something completely different or something with a purpose. Many times, I find purpose in drawing a gift for an old friend or someone who has been really down lately. Even if the end product isn’t your best piece, you drew something that will most likely brighten someone else’s day. That should make you feel so much better about your purpose as an artist.
And if you feel like you’re not improving, draw things that you have never attempted before. You’ll discover details you wouldn’t have seen before. I find that drawing something up close will make you discover so many new techniques and possibilities, like tree bark up close. So many lines and swirls and indents and creatures!
fireaux asked: Hi there, I've been a fan of yours since I was 11 years old, and now I'm 20 :3 I've been following your art for all this time, and aspired to be an artist like you. I was wondering if you had any tips on how to perfect my lineart? I'm a very sketchy artist and I'd like to be able to make smooth lineart without the pen tool :)
Hiya! I have an old lineart tutorial that might help you:
http://kuitsuku.deviantart.com/art/Photoshop-Lineart-Coloring-Tut-56907784
My best tips are to be patient and draw at a really high resolution. :)
iceyfrog asked: I was watching your livestream recording and I was wondering; what exactly are you doing when you rapidly use the select tool in a certain area? It's not when you're moving lines around, you do it when you finish drawing a few lines or a section of the drawing (if that's more clear). It looks like it's making corrections to the lines but I'm not sure what exactly is going on, or how you're doing it. Just curious!
Oh, that’s smoothing the lines! In most versions of flash it’s under Modify -> Shape -> Smooth. It helps for those pesky lines that come out jagged.
